Thefts
by Rusty Raccoon
Summary: (WIP) When an unknown ship assaults a transport ship, the Defiant responds to find the crew and passengers missing. Sisko and co must analyze the ships logs and locate the crew before it's too late.
1. The attack

I haven't yet decided which season this takes place in, so I've left which Dax I'm referring to open for the time being.  
  
If I've misspelled any of the character names, then I apologize.  
  
I'm hoping I got the description of the transport ship right. It's the space equivalent of a passenger airplane.  
  
Legal Stuff: I don't own any of the DS9 characters, ships and planets, they are copyright Paramount pictures and the producers of DS9. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just having a little fun by getting out an idea I had in my head and using Deep Space 9 as a vehicle for that idea.  
  
--------  
  
The civilian transport ship oregano cruised silently through space. Its sleek gray curved hull was build for speed, allowing it to match all but the fastest of ships. Three rows of windows on either side of the ship provided much of its illumination in the otherwise cold dark vacuum of space. An elegant pair of glowing blue nacelles was attached to the slightly shorter but thicker similarly shaped drive section.  
  
With a view primarily provided by a trio of windows at the forefront of the ship, the three-person flight crew guided the ship through her journey between systems.  
  
The captain's chair was towards the rear center of the small circular bridge. His crew manned two well-lit consoles behind him, one to the right, one to the left.  
  
Rubbing his brown goatee, the captain checked readout beside him, noticing something strange on the sensors. Getting up, he walked over to a series of consoles behind his two officers. Normally such consoles would be manned, but on a routine mission such as this, they didn't have the manpower. Typing a series of commands in, he looked at a more detailed readout, his blue eyes going wide with confusion.  
  
"What is it sir?" his first officer, a human woman a little shorter then he, her long flowing yellow blonde hair contrasting sharply with his shaved head. She normally stood to the left of his chair and was responsible for communications and navigation.  
  
Turning to her, he pointed to the readouts. The bright display screen showed their course from one system with a red sun to another with a yellow sun via a line between the two. It indicated they were almost halfway there. Short-range sensors showed the area within an AU of them, indicating that something appeared to be following.  
  
"Any idea what it could be?" the young woman asked, her deep blue eyes wide with concern and the tone of her voice soft.  
  
"I'd say it's a cloaked ship but this route isn't anywhere near the Klingon or Romulin space. Can we get more detailed scans of it?" he asked.  
  
"We'd need to drop out of warp to do so," his science officer, a tall man that towered over both him and the commander.  
  
"Very well, take us out of warp and run detailed scans. If someone is following us, I want to know who it is," the captain responded.  
  
---  
  
The ship's cabin had three rows of seats; each row has two comfortable and spacious seats that could be converted into a bed for longer trips. Most of the passengers of this trip were human. Two people, a man and a woman sat halfway down the row on the starboard side.  
  
"You've been to this resort planet before, what's it like?" the woman asked after looking out the window at the streaking stars.  
  
"Well Joyce, it's hard to describe with words. The entire planet is covered in a beautiful temperate forest with all sorts of wildlife. The resort is huge and you can do almost any activity you can imagine including hiking, swimming, mountain climbing and dozens of sports. They have birds with a call said to be one of the most beautiful sounds in the quadrant," the man answered.  
  
Joyce was about to answer when the stars stopped streaking as the ship dropped out of warp.  
  
"Hey Richard, any idea why we've dropped out of warp?" she asked.  
  
Running his right hand though his thick medium length chestnut hair, Richard looked out the window.  
  
"I'm honestly not sure. Want me to ask one of the attendants?"  
  
The ship suddenly began to shake, dishes rattled and everyone hung on with concerned looks in their faces. As alert klaxons sounded and the lights dimmed, everyone sitting next to a window looked out to see something approaching above the ship. The cabin was soon filled with the sounds of people trying to figure out what was happening.  
  
Above the transport, a massive ship with a slightly rounded navy blue hull, wings nearly as large as it was wide that curved back menacingly, few windows and four nacelles, two on top, two on the bottom loomed over the ship, matching its speed and course. The attacker was easily 20 times the size of the transport. As soon as it was directly above them, it locked on a blue tractor beam that completely enveloped the ship.  
  
On the bridge, the captain sat in his chair staring at the view screen at the sight before them.  
  
"We have to break free of that beam. Megan, take us to full impulse, Donny, did you get the distress call out?"  
  
"I'm trying sir but there is considerable interference from that ship,"  
  
"Do what you can. Megan, full impulse now!"  
  
The red impulse engines at the back of the oregano's main hull glowed brightly; unfortunately, she didn't move very far and was shaking considerable from the attempt. Alarms were blaring on the bridge as sparks flew from a console from the far right side.  
  
"Captain, if we don't disengage, we'll be torn apart!" Megan yelled.  
  
"All stop; Donny lock phasers on that tractor emitter and hit it with everything we have!"  
  
Donny complied, the phaser emitters situated at the sides of the transport letting loose. Unfortunately, they both struck shields, the blue bubble glowing as if mocking them.  
  
"Damn, their shields too powerful. You'd need a warship's firepower to get through!" Donny responded.  
  
The speakers of the ship were suddenly filled with the booming and low- pitched voice of their attacker commander.  
  
"This is commander Ji'Vek of the imperial cruiser Li'Vek, surrender or be destroyed!" he demanded.  
  
"This is Captain Steve Raffield of the federation transport oregano. We are a civilian ship transporting passengers, we are not a threat to you," he said, motioning Megan to mute the transmission so the commander wouldn't hear what he was going to say next. "Donny, any luck getting that distress call out?"  
  
"I think so sir but it's likely badly garbled," Donny responded. The ship suddenly shuddered and he had to grab onto the railing to keep from being knocked down.  
  
"All right then, we'll assume help is on the way. Raise the commander again," he ordered. "Commander, you are committing an act of war against the Federation. Release your tractor beam at once!"  
  
There was no response. The ship shuddered heavily, sparks flying from several consoles. In the back, Richard and Joyce were holding hands as they looked on in concern. The cabin hadn't of sustained much damage but the fear in the faces of each passenger was evident.  
  
Both Richard and Joyce suddenly felt light headed as they along with everyone else were enveloped by a blue transporter beam, leaving the transport empty as the larger ship released its tractor beam and flew away into the darkness of space. 


	2. Where did they go?

Aboard the USS Defiant, the crew had been on a routine patrol when they received the Oregano's distress call. Solemnly, they sat as they listened to it.  
  
"This is Captain Steve Raffield of the federation transport Oregano. We are under attack by a ship of unknown origin," the message stopped, leading to bursts of static. Dax tried her best to clear the transmission, patching through what she was able to, "they have us in a tractor beam, we are unable to break free."  
  
"That's all I was able to get, either their transmission was jammed or they were unable to send anything else," she reported.  
  
"What's the soonest we can be there?" Sisko asked.  
  
"Twelve hours at maximum warp," Dax reported.  
  
"Are there any other ships in the vicinity?"  
  
"There are two other transport ships about three hours away but neither of them are equipped to handle a situation like this. The USS Montana is fourteen hours away at maximum warp," she replied.  
  
With the Defiant being the only ship in range that could handle the situation, Sisko knew what he had to do.  
  
"Mr. Worf, activate the cloaking device and take us to yellow alert then contact Starfleet to inform of them of the situation. Dax, set in a course of the transports last known coordinates, maximum warp."  
  
The bridge went dark as the cloak was activated. Everyone went to his or her tasks and seconds later, the Defiant went to warp.  
  
Twelve hours later, they were approaching the co-ordinates. The tension on the bridge was high, as everyone feared the worst.  
  
"Captain, we are approaching the co-ordinates of the distress call," Worf reported.  
  
Sisko sat forward in his chair, tightly grasping the arm rests.  
  
"Red alert," he ordered, the red alert klaxons sounding. If anything, they only served to increase the tension. "Take us out of warp and drop cloak."  
  
Dax brought the ship of warp, the stars stopping streaking on the view screen as Worf deactivated the cloaking device.  
  
"Sensors are picking up the transport 250,000 kilometers away, they appear to be adrift," Dax reported.  
  
"Are you picking up any life signs or evidence of any other ships in the vicinity?" Sisko asked.  
  
Dax ran the scans, first scanning the transport. Her heart sunk when they reported no life sign readings. Hope of finding the ship responsible for this seemed bleak when no other ships were picked up. The damage to the transport appeared minor, certainly nothing that could have caused fatalities. Reporting her findings, she awaited the captain's orders.  
  
"Captain, it's possible that another ship may be cloaked," Worf reported, his voce as determined as ever. No doubt he was hoping for a chance at whomever was responsible for this.  
  
"Lay in a course for the transport at maximum impulse. Take us to within five kilometers of it, Mr. O'Brien, when we're in range extend the shields around it, I want to board it so we can access it's sensor logs for any clue as to what happened to the crew," Sisko orders.  
  
As Dax set the course, O'Brien began arranging for extending the shields. Doing so would weaken them considerably, which he reported to the captain. However, since they needed to board the transport, he didn't want to risk any attack and wanted to be able to get everyone out of there without having to lower the shields.  
  
When the defiant was over the transport and in range, O'Brien extended the shields.  
  
"Mr. Worf, keep an eye out for any uninvited guests. Dax prepare to take evasive maneuvers if needed. I'm taking an away team over there to see what happened. Keep a constant transporter lock on us," Sisko ordered as he stood up, "Major, Mr. O'Brien, you're with me. Sisko to Doctor Bashier, meet us in the transporter room," he said, with the doctor acknowledging a few seconds later.  
  
The Oregano's bridge was dark, with only the lights from the consoles, many of them flickering providing illumination. The center area of it just ahead of the captains chair was lit up as the away team materialized in a circular form with their backs to each other and all holding phasers.  
  
Once it was confirmed they were alone, Bashier holstered his phaser and pulled out his medical tricorder to scan for life signs.  
  
"I'm not reading any life signs anywhere on the ship," he reported.  
  
"Mr. O'Brien see if you can access their sensors logs. Major, keep guard in case our sensor readings are inaccurate. Doctor, we'll check out cabin, perhaps there will be some evidence as to where the crew and passengers went," Sisko said.  
  
Everyone acknowledged his orders and went to their tasks. O'Brien and Kira walked over to the only working console, one directly behind the three stations. O'Brien going to work on it while Kira stood careful watch to his right.  
  
Bending down, O'Brien opened a panel under the console, pulling out some isolinear chips and rearranging others to enable access to the main computer.  
  
Once he had the right combination, the computer chirped and announced that access was granted. Nodding his head, he stood up and set to work on getting to the logs.  
  
In the cabin, Sisko and Bashier walked through the rows of seats, the doctor scanning each one with his tricorder. The area was messy with luggage strewn all over the place from the jostling the ship had taken.  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up residual energy traces, it appears as through the passengers and crew were beamed out,"  
  
"Does the signature match any known ones?"  
  
"No sir, looks like whoever did this isn't someone we've run into before."  
  
Sisko's communicator suddenly chirped.  
  
"Captain we've found something important," O'Brien said.  
  
"We'll be right there," Sisko replied.  
  
A minute later, he and Bashier walked back onto the bridge.  
  
"What have you got?" he asked.  
  
O'Brien pointed to the console display; it showed the attacking ship and confirmed the beam outs as well as the direction the ship went after.  
  
"They vanished about three AUs from here. They appeared to enter a subspace corridor. The logs show how they accessed it. It may be possible for us to do the same."  
  
"All right, uploads these logs to the Defiant's computers. We can put this ship on autopilot. Once we've returned to the Defiant, we'll lay in a course for that corridor," Sisko responded.  
  
Five minutes later, they were back on the bridge. They watched as the transport made its way back to the port it had departed from under its own power. O'Brien analyzed the logs as Dax set a course for the corridor.  
  
"Mr. Worf, contact Starfleet and update them on the situation. We're going to access that corridor. We have no idea what'll be on the other side so be ready for anything," Sisko ordered.  
  
Lying back in his chair, he folded his arms just under his face and sighed. They had no real way to know if those people were still alive, nor could they tell if it was even possible to rescue them if they were.  
  
As they approached the entrance to the corridor, he called for a full stop just short of the entrance. O'Brien further analyzed the transport logs before programming in the settings the defiant would need to access it. They needed to send a pulse from their deflector at a specific frequency to do so.  
  
Sisko gave the order and the Defiant's defector glowed bright blue before sending out a blue stream of energy for three seconds. Before them, a glowing gray fold appeard. Sisko ordered Dax to take them in. When they met the fold, the Defiant vanished into subspace, the fold closing behind them. 


	3. A puzzling discovery

Based on feedback, I've decided to go with Jadzia Dax. I've also placed the episode as taking place durring the forth season.  
  
----  
  
The Defiant flew through the corridor, its brilliant swirling blue and yellow energy a sight both beautiful and terrifying. The entire ship shook near continuously, her shields getting a mighty workout from random energy discharges.  
  
"Report!" Sisko barked as the ship shuddered heavily sparks flying from the set of consoles behind him, a crewman having to duck and take cover to avoid being struck.  
  
"Shields down to 65 percent; the entire conduit is full of random discharges and energy fluctuations," Dax reported.  
  
"Can you compensate?" Sisko asked, the ship shuddering heavily and even more sparks flying from consoles to his right, narrowly missing Worf.  
  
"If I adjust the frequency of the warp engines to match those discharges, it should stabilize the conduit," O'Brien reported.  
  
The Defiant obviously couldn't take this abuse for long, so Sisko gave O'Brien the go ahead. As a testament to his engineering skill, he managed to carry out the order within seconds. The Defiant stopped shaking as the discharges ceased, making the ride much smoother.  
  
"Excellent work Mr. O'Brien. Dax, how long until we're clear of the conduit?"  
  
"Approximately one minute and thirty seconds," she reported.  
  
The rest of the trip through the conduit went smoothly and the Defiant returned to normal space through a similar fold of energy they entered from. It closed behind them seconds after they cleared it.  
  
"Damage report," Sisko requested.  
  
"Shields down to 50%, there's minor damage on decks two and four. No injuries or fatalities noted," O'Brien reported.  
  
"Dax, can you get a fix on our location?"  
  
Jadzia went over sensor readings, at first astonished at the distance they had traveled in such a sort period of time.  
  
"Captain, we've traveled over 3500 light years! I'm reading a system three light years away with six planets, two of which appear to be M class," she reported.  
  
"Captain, I've further analyzed the Oregano's logs. Their sensors recorded an ion trail from the ship that attacked them. It lead right to the conduit," O'Brien reported.  
  
"Confirmed, a matching ion trail leads directly to the third planet in that system," Dax responded.  
  
"All right, Mr. O'Brien see if you can rig a probe to go back through that conduit to upraise Starfleet of our situation. My Worf, once the probe is launched, engage the cloak and we'll set a course for that planet at maximum warp," Sisko ordered.  
  
--  
  
Twenty minutes later, O'Brien had configured a probe to survive the trip through the conduit and was in the torpedo bay to launch it. The probe was not large, only two meters long and half a meter wide. With the help of another engineer, O'Brien loaded it onto a launcher. He contacted the bridge to inform Sisko.  
  
"Bridge, the probe is configured and ready to launch at your command," he reported.  
  
On the bridge, The Captain smirked, always impressed with the efficiency of O'Brien's work.  
  
"Dax, launch the probe,"  
  
Jadzia complied and the probe launched, heading directly for the conduit before disappearing into it in a flash of yellow and blue light.  
  
With the launched confirmed, Worf cloaked the ship and Jadzia set a course for the system, engaging at maximum warp.  
  
--  
  
Halfway to the system, the senior staff were in engineering studying the scans of the ship that attacked the Oregano.  
  
Displayed on a console was the diagram of the ship with side, top and bottom views with indicators pointing to what the sensors had determined as various systems.  
  
"Their phasers had little effect on the ships shields. However, those transports are only equipped with type six phasers. Ours should suffice," Worf reported.  
  
"If the passengers and crew are onboard that ship then we may have to board it. Work on a way to disable their shields long enough to get a team onboard without doing too much damage," Sisko ordered.  
  
"It's also possible that they're somewhere on the planet, we should scan the surface once we're in range," Bashier suggested.  
  
"Agreed; in the meantime, we don't know what condition our people will be in. Doctor I recommend setting up triage stations and being prepared for the worst," Sisko said, Bashier responding with an aye sir. Looking to Worf, Kira and Odo, he continued, "Major, Mr. Worf, set up security teams in preparation to board that ship if it becomes necessary. Constable, I'd much rather solve this without bloodshed, your abilities could come in useful if you can impersonate one of their officers to gather information. Dax when we're in range, see if you can get some scans of the ship and find out what these people look like, it may be possible we can deceive them." Odo and Jadzia nodded. Turning to O'Brien, Sisko continued, "Chief, do what you can to boost the shields and weapons; if diplomacy fails then we may need them." O'Brien nodded.  
  
Sisko dismissed everyone and they went to work.  
  
--  
  
Captains log stardate 49524.3, after tracking the unknown vessel to the 3rd planet of a six-planet system, we are dropping out of warp and preparing to determine the status of the oregano's crew and passengers.  
  
The bridge dark, red alert klaxons sounding and pulsating, the crew was at full alert. They watched, as the planet slowly grew larger on the view screen. Looking much like a marble, the swirls of white clouds over blue oceans was a beautiful site to behold. Had they been on a sight seeing or scientific mission, Sisko was sure they wouldn't be disappointed.  
  
Approaching a planet while under cloak was almost normal for the crew but the feeling of trepidation in not knowing what they were going to encounter was still there, creating considerable tension.  
  
"Dax, are you picking up the ship on sensors?" Sisko asked.  
  
"Sensors are picking up multiple ships in orbit of the planet, there are at least fifty of them," she reported. It wasn't looking good; one of these ships would be more then a match for the Defiant, fifty of them.... Dax chimed again, providing some relief. "Many of the ships appear to be of different design and judging from their warp signatures also from different species. I am however, picking up three ships of similar design to the one we're after, including our ship in orbit around a northern continent."  
  
Three against one was better odds then fifty against one. However, it was still unacceptable. Sisko was hopeful that with all those other ships in orbit that they'd have potential allies if a firefight broke out.  
  
"Take us within scanning range but be ready with evasive maneuvers in case we're detected," Sisko ordered.  
  
Jadzia took the Defiant closer and closer to the planet and ship they were after. As it loomed closer and closer on the view screen, the already high- tension level near doubled.  
  
When they were as close as they could get without being detected, Jadzia initiated the scans. It was not a pleasant scene seeing that ship so close to them and having to sit and wait, not knowing if it knew their people were out there or not.  
  
"I'm not picking up any human life signs aboard the ship, however scanning is limited while we're under cloak," she reported. Sisko sighed deeply, unsure of what to do next until Jadzia's console beeped again. Looking at the readings, a very confused look crossed her face. "Captain, you're not going to believe this, but I'm picking up readings of Terran wildlife on the planet," she said.  
  
"How's that possible? Could they simply be similar species?" Sisko asked.  
  
"I can't get an exact reading, but from what I'm seeing they are definitely not indigenous to this planet," Jadzia responded.  
  
Sisko wanted to know what was going on and it looked like they were going to have to send away teams down to assertion the situation. While this wasn't solving the problem of locating the Oregano's crew and passengers, had the ship also taken non-humanoid species, it could provide clues as to the location of the others.  
  
"Mr. O'Brien, is there any way we can decloak the ship long enough to beam two away teams down to investigate those readings?"  
  
O'Brien went over readings from the planet and came up with a plan.  
  
"If we take the ship to the southern polar region, we should be able to decloak for 20 seconds without someone detecting us. It'll be long enough to beam two teams down. I'll need to rig communicators so they won't be detected if they contact the ship while it's under cloak," he reported.  
  
"All right, let's do it. Jadzia, take us to the southern polar region, Chief, rig six communicators. One they're ready, you, Dax and Lieutenant Peterson will form the first team. Kira, Odo and Doctor Bashier will form the second. Go down in civilian clothing, something that won't attract attention. Bring medical tricorders and phasers with you but keep them concealed. We'll try to locate our people from here," Sisko ordered.  
  
--  
  
An hour later, the two teams of three were in the transporter room. All were dressed in light clothing that based on scans of the area with the animals would blend in well with the populace. They had arranged to beam down in an area that would have the least chance of being seen transporting down.  
  
O'Brien's team went first, waiting on the transporter pad for Sisko to give the go ahead from the bridge. Once he did, the cloak was dropped and the transport performed. Once the transporter operator confirmed a successful beam down, Kira's team stepped onto the pad. The operator wished them luck and beamed them down, informing the bridge once their cycle had successfully completed.  
  
On the planet, Kira, Odo and Bashier looked around their immediate area, confirming no one had seen them materialize. It was chilly where they were, a breeze blowing across the area. In front of them was a wall, on the other side a habitat for wildlife with several trees and a lake. They appeared to have beamed into a zoo or wildlife refuge.  
  
Looking into the habitat, they all were shocked to see it populated by Beavers and River Otters! 


	4. Disturbing speculation

Scanning the habitat, Bashir's expression was of fascination and confusion.  
  
"These are Earth animals, there's no doubt about it. I'd like to take one of them up to the Defiant to examine it, an examination may yield clues to where they came from," he said.  
  
"How are we going to do that? If we take one of these animals, they'll will know it's missing," Kira asked.  
  
Bashir looked at Odo and then back into the habitat.  
  
"The constable could take the form of one of them to lure one here. He could also take its place while we're gone. It could fool the guards long enough to get proper readings," he said, turning to face Odo, "that's if you're willing."  
  
"No problem Doctor, I welcome the chance to try out a new form," he replied.  
  
Bashir and Kira looked around and when the coast was clear, they gave the go ahead for Odo to go to work. Walking towards the railing, he shifted into his liquid form and oozed between the bars, eventually oozing towards the artificial lake and reforming into the shape of an otter. Solidifying, he dove into the water.  
  
Swimming under the water, he couldn't help but enjoy the form. The sensation of flowing water against waterproof fur was unlike anything he had ever experienced. For a few minutes, he found himself diving and enjoying the sensation as the other otters swam up to him to investigate this new arrival. Surfacing, he waited for them to do the same. Once they did, they all chittered and squeaked at him.  
  
He turned to one of them, squeaking and chittering at it before swimming back in the direction of Bashir and Kira. Curious, the otter followed him, wondering who he was and what was going on. It followed him all the way back to shore and up to the fence.  
  
It watched as the otter before it assumed a more gelatinous form, slowly standing on its hind legs before growing to humanoid size. It had seen this before and wanted to be afraid and run. Something inside of it told it to stand its ground however.  
  
Once Odo has reassumed his normal humanoid form, he bent down to pick the otter up. The otter looked at him, fear in his eyes. Odo, one to respect all forms of life, did his best to assure the creature.  
  
"It's all right, we won't hurt you, we simply want to know where you came from" he said.  
  
The otter decided to stand his ground. Odo slowly picked him up, handing him to Bashir, who held the dripping wet weasel like creature against his chest with both arms.  
  
"I've never seen one of these guys this close," he said, unable to hold back a smile. He managed to tap his combadge to contact the Defiant. "Bashir to Defiant, I'm beaming up with an otter we've found down here. I want to examine him for clues as to where they came from."  
  
"Aye sir, stand by," the transporter operator said.  
  
"Hopefully we'll be able to solve at least one mystery today," he said before the transporter beam activated and he and the otter dematerialized before them.  
  
Odo could hear someone coming and altered Kira.  
  
"They might notice one of their animals missing. Maybe you should," Kira started Odo knowing what she was getting at. Slowly he morphed back onto otter form, looking at Kira through otter eyes when he was done. "Try not to have too much fun in there," she said with a smile. He nodded and slowly slid into the cool water, diving under it.  
  
Minutes later, a tall man walked up behind Kira, he stood tall enough that the top of her head only reached midway up his chest. The brown uniform he wore covered much of his body, leaving only the light red skin on his slightly rigged face exposed.  
  
"Welcome to our facility," he said.  
  
"Thank you. I was wondering where you acquired these creatures from," she said. Since the information on the plaque was written in script she couldn't translate without the help of a tricorder or translator, she had hoped to use that as an excuse to gather more information on just where the creatures came from.  
  
"They originate from a planet called Earth nearly 3600 light years from here. We acquired them as part of a species exchange. They are fascinating creatures. The earthlings call them river otters and beavers. They say are semi aquatic, able to function equally well on land as they do in the water," the man said, his voice deep and all four of his arms moving excitedly as he spoke.  
  
Kira had never heard of a species exchange with this planet, let alone this person's species. Something about this whole situation wasn't right. She wanted to ask him further questions but given the stealth nature of their mission, she couldn't risk giving herself away. She would have to wait until the doctor completed his scans.  
  
---  
  
On the other side of the zoo like facility, the second away team was busy with discoveries of their own. Throughout the zoo were species from all over the Alpha and Beta quadrants.  
  
Their tricorders beeped when they read something interesting. There was a habitat before them with lions and leopards! The team walked over to the habitat, using their tricorders to confirm the animals were Earth in origin.  
  
Peterson looked at the habitat in fascination, smiling as he watched the graceful creatures moving about.  
  
"I've never seen them live before, only in pictures and videos," he said.  
  
"They're similar to a jungle species on Trill, except four legs instead of six and two eyes instead of three," Jadzia said, smiling. Her tricorder beeped several times when she scanned a group of lions. "This is odd."  
  
"What is it?" Peterson asked.  
  
"I'm picking up very strange readings in their DNA and cellular structure. It's appears to be in the final stages of some kind of flux."  
  
"What does that mean?" Peterson asked as O'Brien's tricorder reported it had located something.  
  
"I'm not sure. If we could get a blood sample from one of them, we could analyze it and find out," Jadzia replied.  
  
"How are we going to get a blood sample from a lion or leopard? I doubt they're willing to just stand there and let us take one."  
  
O'Brien was reading his tricorders readings, looking a bit shocked.  
  
"These aren't the only Earth species here; I'm reading what appear to be seals and dolphins," he said.  
  
"What the heck is going on? How could they get these animals without anyone knowing?" Peterson asked.  
  
"We'd better contact the Defiant and report our findings," O'Brien said as he tapped his communicator.  
  
Sisko told them about the beavers and otters and that Bashir had taken an otter onboard to scan it in hopes of figuring out what was going on. As of yet, there was no sign of the transports crew or passengers. He told them to stand by when Jadzia suggested getting a blood sample from a lion while they figured out how to go about doing that.  
  
Looking at the animals, Peterson looked disturbed.  
  
"What is it?" O'Brien asked.  
  
"I know this is going to sound crazy but what if these animals are the people we're looking for?"  
  
"Peterson, there has to be another explanation. Why would whomever did this turn 150 people into animals and then send them to a zoo 3500 light years away? Assuming this was even possible, what could they gain from it?" O'Brien asked.  
  
"Maybe whoever operates this place doesn't know the truth? Maybe they paid them for each animal? A lot of people would never think to look for their missing comrades here, certainly not as animals. I know it sounds insane but what if it's true?"  
  
"It might explain the cellular and DNA readings. Hopefully a complete scan will give us the answers we need," Jadzia responded.  
  
"Until then, we should keep the speculation to a minimum, we don't want to alarm anyone," O'Brien asked.  
  
Peterson nodded.  
  
---  
  
High above the planet, imperial cruiser Li'Vek orbited. Minutes ago, it detected suspicious readings. Commander Ji'Vek sat in his chair on the bridge, waiting for the results of the scans.  
  
"We have confirmed that a signal was sent towards the southern polar region. We have analyzed the language and carrier wave of the signal, it matches the signal sent by the transport," an officer reported.  
  
"Then it seems someone has come looking for their people. It looks like they're using a cloaking device to mask themselves,"  
  
"Yes sir," the officer replied.  
  
"Very well then. Lay in an intercept course, we can't risk them learning the truth," Ji'Vek ordered.  
  
Slowly, the massive ship turned and started on its way to the Defiant's location. 


	5. Interesting findings

Captain's log supplemental: We have transported two away teams to the surface after picking up readings of Earth species. Both teams have discovered what appear to be Earth animals on the surface. Dr Bashir has transported one up to analyze it in an attempt to decipher this mystery.  
  
In the Defiant's sickbay, Bashir stood over a biobed upon which the otter stood. The creature watched with fascination and curiosity as he scanned it with a medical tricorder.  
  
"Fascinating," he said in a rather enthusiastic tone.  
  
"What is it Doctor?" A female nurse asked.  
  
"His DNA and cellular structure appear to be in the final stage of some sort of flux,"  
  
"Flux?" the nurse, asked.  
  
"It appears that his DNA was rewritten and cellular structure altered to conform to it. It appears to be in the final stages of stabilizing in its new form." Scanning the otter's head for nearly thirty seconds, his face almost lit up. "Remarkable, his brain patterns indicate very high intelligence, far higher then what would be expected for this species. I think there's a high degree of probability that he is sentient."  
  
"Could he be one of the people from the transport? Could whomever did this have someone changed them into animals?"  
  
Bashir might have thought the idea was absurd, but given the readings he was seeing, he had little choice but to agree with her, especially when the otter appeared to nod his head at the suggestion.  
  
"I think there is a very good chance of that," scanning him further, he look a bit upset. "Unfortunately, if we don't find a way to reverse this process soon, say within the next 48 hours, it could begin to affect his mind. The same likely goes for the others."  
  
The otter did not like the sound of that and growled for several seconds.  
  
"If there were only a way we could communicate with him directly," the nurse said.  
  
Bashir petted the otter's head to calm him; it seemed to work for the time being.  
  
"Perhaps there is. If his mind is still intact then it might be possible," tapping his combadge he asked for Lt. Sonata, asking him to come down to sickbay, also summoning Sisko.  
  
A few minutes later, the two were standing behind Bashir and the otter.  
  
"What have you learned Doctor?" Sisko asked.  
  
"I have evidence that these animals are not natural members of their species. It appears as though someone transformed them. Neural scans indicate their minds are intact and have intelligence well beyond the norm for their species. We need a more direct way to communicate with him to confirm this," Bashir answered.  
  
"Captain, I believe this is why the Doctor summoned me," Sonata, a Vulcan started. "I believe he wishes me to mind meld with his creature in order to establish communication with it."  
  
"I know it sounds unusual but it may be the only hope of restoring these people to their rightful forms. I can monitor both of you and break the connection of anything goes wrong," Bashir pleaded.  
  
Sonata thought about it for a minute before deciding.  
  
"Very well Doctor, I will require time to mediate to prepare," he said.  
  
"We'll be ready when you are," Bashir answered.  
  
"Good luck gentlemen," Sisko started before a communication for him altered him. "Go ahead," he said, tapping his combadge.  
  
"Captain, one of those ships is heading directly for us, they may have detected us," the disembodied voice said.  
  
"Ready evasive maneuvers. I'll be right there," Sisko answered.  
  
"Yes sir," the voice said, sounding urgent.  
  
The port rear door of the Defiant opened just before Sisko walked in and took his set at the center of the bridge.  
  
"Report!" he ordered.  
  
"Captain, the vessel matching the warp signature of the one that attacked the transport is heading directly for us. The transports logs identify it as the Li'Vek, commanded by a commander Ji'Vek. Their weapons are fully charged," Worf reported.  
  
"We need to buy the Doctor time. Ensign Burke, take us out of orbit but keep us within transporter range of the away teams. Hopefully we can evade them long enough," Sisko ordered.  
  
Burke complied, slowly taking the Defiant out of its Southern polar orbit.  
  
"Evasive maneuvers pattern Beta-6-7, take us to 500 kp/h. Try to keep us within transporter range of the away team so we can beam them up if necessary," Sisko ordered.  
  
"Aye sir, answering 500 kp/h," Burke replied.  
  
"The vessel does not appear to have detected us. They are running intensive scans of the southern polar region. I recommend running on thrusters only, they may be able to track the emissions from our impulse engines," Worf suggested.  
  
"Ensign, switch to thrusters, alter course to 148 mark 263," Sisko ordered, the ensign complying.  
  
Work's console beeped, a shocked expression appearing on his face when he saw why.  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up a transmission from that ship to the surface. It appears directed in the vicinity of our away teams."  
  
"They may have teams on the surface,"  
  
"If we attempt to send them a signal, it may give away our position," Worf warned.  
  
Sisko slammed his right fist into the arm wrest, cursing under his breath.  
  
"We can't just leave them down there without some sort of warning. I needed suggestions,"  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up several dozen satellites in orbit. It may be possible to relay a signal between several of them. It should confuse them long enough for us to move to a new position," a lieutenant stationed at the communications console suggested.  
  
"Do it," Sisko ordered.  
  
--  
  
On the surface, Kira was still watching Odo when her communicator chirped. The transmission was not high quality and included a lot of static but she was able to understand it.  
  
"Major, our sensors have detected a transmission from the ship that attacked the transport. They directed the transmission to someone in your vicinity. There may be guards altered to your presence. We can't beam you up at the moment," Sisko informed her.  
  
"No problem. I'll keep a look out. Thanks for the warning," Kira responded.  
  
"We'll let you know when we're able to initiate transport. Sisko out."  
  
Since they had appeared to have been 'caught', there seemed little point in Odo masquerading as one of the otters anymore. Leaning over the railing, Kira called his name, making sure no one could see what she was doing.  
  
She saw the otter that was Odo swim out of the water and walk up towards her. Unfortunately, she was distracted just long enough as not to hear the two guards walking up behind her. They were of the same species as the guard that had talked to her earlier.  
  
"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me," one of them said.  
  
Kira turned around to see them. Hoping to play coy, she quickly thought of something to distract them.  
  
"Have I done something to offend you? I was just visiting here; to my knowledge, I haven't committed any crimes."  
  
The guards looked at each other before pulling pistol like weapons from holsters on their right hips with their lower right arms.  
  
"Perhaps I'm not making myself clear, surrender to us!" the guard on her right angrily demanded.  
  
It seemed her plan was not going to work and she'd have to act fast. Turning around, she leaned against the railing watching Odo (in otter form) slowly approaching her.  
  
"All right, you win," she said, slowly reaching into her coat and covertly pulling out a phaser. Not giving them a chance to react, she quickly turned around and stunned the guard on the right. The beam hit him directly in the chest and he immediately fell onto his back out cold.  
  
The other guard frowned at her before pointing his weapon. She was about to stun him as well when he fired at the phaser, knocking it out of her hand. The blast hurt her hand and she held it from the pain. The guards smirked, pointing the weapon at her chest. Reacting quickly, Kira kicked the weapon out of his hand. As it fell to the ground with a clanging sound, the guard lunged at her. He swung at her with all four of his hands, making contact with the upper two on Kira's head.  
  
Stunned slightly, she dodged to her right, the guard turning to match her move. She punched him in the chest multiple times, hitting him in the head impossible with their size difference. Unfortunately, it had little effect.  
  
Moving so his back would be facing the habitat, she looked up at him. Knowing exactly what she was doing, she did everything in her power not to make it evident she noticed Odo oozing between the bars behind the guard.  
  
Odo moved quickly, assuming a slightly larger then normal humanoid form tall enough to be at level with the guard. The guard, oblivious to Odo's presence looked down at Kira, looking rather angry.  
  
"What are you waiting for? Go ahead and hit me!" he dared her.  
  
"I don't have to!" Kira yelled.  
  
"And why is that?" The guard asked.  
  
Odo smirked before tapping him on the right shoulder. The guard turned around to find himself face to face with Odo, who promptly decked him across the face with enough to force to render him unconscious. He soon feel forward onto the pavement.  
  
"Thanks," Kira said.  
  
"No problem Major," Odo replied.  
  
"Come on, we need to find the other team. If the Defiant's been detected then we need to hold them off long enough for them to get us out of here."  
  
Odo nodded and they made their way towards the other team's life sign readings.  
  
--  
  
O'Brien's team had received the same message Kira had. Jadzia was busy working with her tricorder in an attempt to mask the team's life signs so they could hide from the guards.  
  
"I'm picking up four of them closing on our position, 500 meters," Peterson reported.  
  
"We can't risk getting into a shootout here, there's too great a chance of an innocent person getting hurt." O'Brien said.  
  
"I think I can mask our life signs with my tricorder, I'm also picking up a structure 100 meters North of here. We may be able to use it to hide," Jadzia said, looking at a picture of a booth her tricorder was displaying.  
  
"Sir, they're moving very fast, already within 475 meters," Peterson added.  
  
"Let's move it then!" O'Brien yelled, the trio sprinting towards the structure as fast as they could while puzzled onlookers watched.  
  
------  
  
The cloaked Defiant slowly made its way around the planet, making sure to avoid any other ships. The last thing her crew wanted was a firefight in which an innocent ship would end up struck.  
  
Lieutenant Sonata walked into sickbay, ready for the mind meld. Bashir had a biobed with a chair ready, the otter sitting on the bed and the chair for Sonata.  
  
"I am ready to initiate the meld," he said.  
  
"Excellent," Bashir responded, motioning Sonata to sit in the seat provided. Once Sonata sat down, Bashir put a monitor on Sonata's forehead as well as one on the otters. "I will monitor both of your vital signs and brain activity. If anything appears to be going wrong, I'll break the meld."  
  
Kneeling down, he looked at and gently petted the otter.  
  
"Try and stay relaxed. The lieutenant is going to mind meld with you so he can better communicate with you. I hope that everything will work out and you'll be able to explain to him exactly what is going on. Don't worry, I'll be keeping an eye on both of you. If anything goes wrong, I can break the meld." Looking at Sonata, he nodded. "You may proceed."  
  
Gently touching the otter's head with his right index and middle finger, Sonata closed his eyes.  
  
"My mind to your mind, your thought to my thoughts," he said, the classic phrase to begin the bridging of minds.  
  
Both quickly lost consciousness and Sonata found himself standing in a deep forest. It was cool and windy. Above him, a storm was brewing.  
  
"Fascinating," he said as he began to walk in search of someone to speak to.  
  
He didn't have to walk long before he heard a rustling to his left. Stopping he turned to see a human male standing before him. The man looked confused.  
  
"Lieutenant Sonata?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, the meld appears to have been successful. How may I address you?" Sonata asked.  
  
"My name is Richard," the man answered. 


	6. The truth is revealed

Sonata and Richard slowly walked though the virtual forest that existed within their minds.  
  
"We responded to your ship's distress signal; when we arrived at its co- ordinates, we found it unoccupied. Can you tell me what happened to everyone?" Sonata asked.  
  
"Besides the fact they turned us into animals for use as some sort of exhibit? I've heard of some very strange things happening to starships and their crews. Evolution or de-evolution like mutations, rapid aging, crewman gaining God-like abilities and/or intelligence and ships being hurtled to the other side of the universe. I have to say, I never expected this when I boarded that transport!" Richard said.  
  
"Indeed," Sonata responded, raising his left eyebrow. "This situation is not a logical conclusion to your trip. However, we must accept it and ascertain how to proceed. Firstly, how did they do this to you?"  
  
"Well, it's difficult to describe,"  
  
"Then show me. Concentrate on that memory, if necessary focus on a sight, smell or sound associated with it in order to re-construct it,"  
  
Richard closed his eyes, deeply trying to concentrate. All around them, the forest turned a very bright white color until it faded into nothingness. For several seconds both were floating in a sea of energy. Sonata was about to give more advice when a large dark chamber slowly appeared around them.  
  
Inside the chamber were dozens if not hundreds of pod like devices. In the row they stood in, Richard was in the pod directly in front of Sonata. The pod was nearly three times his size and an invisible field suspended him in it. Above the pod, a display showed the creature it was going to change him into. The controls for unlocking and altering his species as well as other settings were located on the front.  
  
Several members of the species that captured the crew patrolled the rows, their boots clanging against the metal floor as they walked. Since this was a memory, they took no notice of Sonata.  
  
Sonata walked over to the pod containing Richard. He looked in to see Richard stripped of his clothes and banging on it, trying to break free of it. This continued until one of the aliens walked over to him and typed several commands into the control on the front.  
  
"Don't worry Human, this will all be over soon enough," he said. Sonata detected an almost apologetic sound in the alien's voice. His tone however, was mostly condescending, as though he could stop this but choose not to. When he pressed on a large blue button on the panel, the pod hummed to life. Light filled the inside and an expression of Panic filled Richard's face.  
  
Sonata could hear the others screaming, begging the aliens to stop this. Some were angry, insisting they'd never get away with it while others tried desperately to escape. In many cases, animal like sounds quickly replaced their cries. Sonata looked into the pod at Richard and saw what it was doing to him.  
  
Cream fur was growing on Richard's chest while brown fur grew elsewhere. As well, Richards body shape was reforming. He slowly shrunk as his proportions changed, making his torso long and his legs and arms short and stubby. A webbing developed between each of his fingers and toes as all were reshaped into the paws of an otter. Richard's face changed, his teeth becoming sharp and pointy as his jaw and nose changed into an otter muzzle. His human hair fell as his eyes and ears changed into otter equivalents. A long and strong tail grew from Richards's tailbone, growing nearly as thick and long as his torso. It was a fascinating, albeit disturbing process for Sonata to watch. He could tell Richard was in a lot of pain and appeared to be fading in and out of consciousness. A growing and squeaking like sound soon replaced his cries for mercy. When it was all over, a river otter floated in the pod.  
  
Everything again grew fuzzy, turning white. Soon, the forest reformed and Richard was standing there before Sonata.  
  
"That minute was one of the most terrifying in my life. The process was ... painful. Perhaps if they did something to ease the pain and I wanted it to happen then maybe it wouldn't have been so bad but as it was, it was horrible," Richard said.  
  
"I regret you and the others had to go through this. Do you have any idea how this technology works or why these people are doing this?" Sonata asked.  
  
"I heard some of them talking after. I don't think they expected us to retain our ability to comprehend what they were saying. They said the intended purpose for the pods was repairing severe injuries, curing diseases and birth defects. Unfortunately, someone could reprogram them for this purpose. Normally, such use is illegal but these guys are renegades and aren't part of their government. They said we were going to make them considerable profit, I assume this zoo paid them for us," Richard said.  
  
"Your ordeal should hopefully be over soon. In the meantime, I must break the meld to inform the captain of what you've told me."  
  
Richard nodded and thanked Sonata for the help before Sonata bowed his head and held his hands in a meditative stance to break the meld. Both he and Richard awoke to find sickbay dark, the pulsing red light of the klaxons casting a creepy glow on the room. Bashir and a nurse approached to both and scanned them to make sure they were okay.  
  
"Lieutenant, were you able to make contact?" he asked.  
  
"Yes; doctor, I must speak with the Captain," Sonata said.  
  
"The captains busy at the moment; we've got an enemy ship closing in on our position," Bashir said.  
  
The ship suddenly shook. Everyone steadied himself or herself as they wondered what was happening.  
  
On the bridge, everyone was tense. The Li'Vek drew close and was firing spatial charges in an attempt to draw the Defiant out of cloak. Sisko sat with his hands folded under his chin, realizing they would no longer be able to run. Eventually, he knew that ship would fire its main weapons. While under cloak, a direct hit could potentially do catastrophic damage.  
  
Standing up, Sisko turned to Worf.  
  
"Mr. Worf, prepare to drop cloak, raise the shields and ready all weapons." The Li'Vek loomed over the planet, watching as space just ahead of them distorted slightly, forming into the defiant as her cloak was deactivated. "Tactical status," Sisko requested.  
  
Worf scanned the Li'Vek, not happy with what he was seeing, clearly evidenced by his expression.  
  
"Captain, that ship is heavily armed and well protected. We are no match for them," he informed the captain.  
  
"If we can't fight our way out of this then we'll have to talk our way out. Hail them."  
  
They quickly responded and the image of the commander appeared of the screen in place of the planet and his ship.  
  
"This is Commander Ji'Vek of the imperial cruiser Li'Vek. Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"I am Captain Benjamin Sisko of the Federation Starship Defiant. We know you were the ones that attack our transport ship and took its crew and passengers. I want them returned to us immediately."  
  
Ji'Vek appeared to be listening to a transmission while he addressed Sisko. Sisko had a feeling he was talking to his people on the surface and no doubt knew of the Defiant's away team's presence and possibly their location.  
  
"Captain, you have no authority here. I suggest you leave now while your ship is still intact," Li'Vek arrogantly demanded.  
  
"Commander, you'll find I don't respond well to threats," Sisko responded, the anger in his voice evident.  
  
"Be realistic Captain. You've scanned our vessel as we have scanned yours; your weapons and shields are no match for ours. I'm giving you a chance to leave now ... while you still can. I will not give you another," Li'Vek said, immediately closing the channel.  
  
"Captain, they're charging weapons," Worf reported.  
  
"We can't leave the away teams behind and I'm not about to leave all those innocent people to their fate. Mr. Burke, evasive maneuvers, crewman Lang, try hailing one of those other ships; if we're not the only ones who's people they've done this to then perhaps they'd be willing to help."  
  
The COM system suddenly chimed, Bashir calling the bridge. He informed Sisko of Sonata's findings, which only increased the Captains determination.  
  
"Captain, one of the ships is responding to our hails," Lang responded.  
  
"Put them though," Sisko ordered.  
  
Unfortunately, the Defiant rocked from weapons fire a second later. It seemed their time was up.  
  
--  
  
Kira and Odo ran in the direction of the away teams last lifesign readings. Kira had a feeling Jadzia had managed to mask them. They appeared headed in the direction of a kiosk. Unfortunately, several guards were closing in. Their ground speed was slightly slower then Kira and Odo, but they had a considerable lead. Odo had an idea and stopped Kira.  
  
"We need to cover ground more quickly. I have an idea," he said.  
  
Before Kira's eyes, he morphed into a majestic horse complete with a saddle. With a neigh, he beckoned Kira to ride him. She did so, climbing on top of him and he quickly began moving, soon running at a gallop speed, allowing the them to cover ground at a much faster speed.  
  
They arrived at the Kiosk only a few minutes ahead of their pursuers. Kira dismounted and Odo resumed his humanoid form. Kira opened the door to find their comrades having taken shelter inside.  
  
The three of them had their phasers ready and stood down with relief at the sight of Odo and Kira.  
  
"Are we glad to see you guys," Jadzia said.  
  
"And we you. We have several guards after us. We need to get out of here now," Kira answered.  
  
"Agreed," O'Brien answered, tapping his combadge. "O'Brien to Defiant, five to beam up."  
  
Sisko responded a few seconds later, obviously agitated.  
  
"We're a bit ... busy at the moment Chief. We'll let you know when we can lower our shields. In the mean time, stay hidden!"  
  
He closed the channel a few seconds later, leaving the team wondering what do to. With the guards getting closer by the second, Odo thought of something. Slowly opening the door and then closing it behind him, the team heard him morphing and wondered what he had planned.  
  
--  
  
The defiant shuddered heavily from the cruiser's weapons fire. Even as they maneuvered under and around it, multiple purple beams from emitters scattered all around the cruiser struck her.  
  
A thin layer of smoke filled the bridge, making breathing difficult. The scent of singed circuitry accompanied the smoke, only adding to the already unpleasant atmosphere.  
  
As another hit rocked her, a conduit at the rear of the bridge ruptured, pouring dark smoke into the area. Two of the consoles in the area shot sparks out just behind a pair of fleeing crewmen.  
  
"Shields down to forty percent; hull breech on decks three and five. Emergency force fields are in place but I'm not sure how long they'll hold," Worf yelled.  
  
"Mr. Burke, take us 12,000 kilometers above them then execute attack pattern epsilon-two-four, it may confuse their weapons," Sisko ordered.  
  
"Yes sir," Mr. Burke acknowledged.  
  
"Sir," Lang called out. Sisko looked in his direction. The crewman's hair was a mess and he had a nasty cut above his right eye as well as a tear on the right sleeve of his uniform from a console explosion he had just barley avoided. The Captain had ordered him to sickbay but they had their hands full at the moment and anyone still able bodied had little choice but to wait. "I've found a weakness in their shields in their dorsal section. We should be able to disable at least some of their weapons. It may not be much..."  
  
"At this point crewman, I'll take any advantage you can give me. Mr. Worf, lock onto those coordinates, Mr. Burke, take us within 200 kilometers then enter a strafing course."  
  
The Defiant soared above the cruiser, turning around and ruining directly at her, barrel rolling in an attempt to confuse their sensors. When she was within point blank range, she fired two quantum torpedoes. The blue weapons cruised from the launchers and smashed into the cruisers weapons array, producing an explosion that destroyed several of their weapons.  
  
Lieutenant Burke took the Defiant over the cruisers dorsal section, flying her over it as Work fired several pot shots with the phasers. Just before they flew in front of the ship, Burke flew her up and over the cruiser, turning the Defiant around to face her.  
  
"We've destroyed one of their primary weapon arrays and inflicted moderate damage to their dorsal section. However, their other weapons are still online. They're recharging those weapons and will have them functional in about five minutes." Lang reported.  
  
"It's a start and enough time to get our teams out of there," Sisko answered.  
  
"Captain, I'm picking up two more cruisers on an intercept course! They're the same design as that cruiser and they're charging weapons and ... targeting us," Worf reported.  
  
"Ready evasive maneuvers," Sisko dejectedly.  
  
--  
  
Four guards ran by the kiosk containing the away teams. They stopped and scanned the area, certain they were detecting something.  
  
"I believe they're in that that building," one of them said, pointing it out with her top right arm.  
  
She motioned the others to get into an attack posture, not noticing the bulge just above the door.  
  
When they slowly approached the door, that bulge began to ripple before four tendril like arms shot out from it. Each arm grabbed one of the guard's weapons while four more arms shot out and struck the guards, knocking each to the ground with enough force to stun them.  
  
Kira and the others ran out of the building as Odo resumed his humanoid form seconds later. They each grabbed a dropped weapon and pointed them at the guards.  
  
"Perhaps you'd like to tell us what is going on here and why you've done this to all these innocent people," she said to the lead female guard.  
  
The guard looked at her with arrogance, obviously not intending to say anything.  
  
---  
  
The other two cruisers loomed closer to the Defiant as their fellow ship got its weapons back online. The Defiant was ready for one heck of a fight. However, before anyone had a chance to fire a shot, four other ships maneuvered between the Defiant and the approaching two of its attackers.  
  
These ships were a brilliant white color with an elegant elliptical shape with nacelles at the port and starboard ends and impulse engines at the back and about half the size of the cruisers.  
  
"Captain, we're being hailed by the lead vessel of those four," Lang reported.  
  
"On screen,"  
  
A female with light bluish-green skin, light yellow eyes and black hair appeared on screen. From her uniform design, she appeared to be the leader of the squadron of ships.  
  
"Captain, we have observed your battle and are here to help. We contacted the government of this planet. They were not aware of the true nature of the species they were sold. Our people were abducted as yours were. We offer our assistance in putting an end to this," she said.  
  
"Thank you for your help," Sisko responded, turning to Lang. "Mr. Lang, hail Commander Ji'Vek,"  
  
The image of Ji'Vek appeared on the screen. His bridge was obviously damaged, not to the same degree as the Defiant's but enough that Sisko knew he had the advantage.  
  
"You fought well Captain; perhaps another day we will meet in battle again," Li'Vek answered, quickly cutting the channel.  
  
On the surface, the four guards in front of the away team de-materialized before them.  
  
The Defiant watched as the commanders ship lead the two others away from the planet. Normally he'd orders a pursuit course but now; they had more important matters to attend to.  
  
"Sisko to O'Brien are your teams all right down there?" he asked.  
  
"Yes sir, we captured four guards that were pursing us but someone transported them away. Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"They were likely beamed up to one of the cruisers. We've managed to drive them off with some assistance. We took damage but we're intact. For now, we need to figure out what we're going to do with all those people down there."  
  
--- 


End file.
